Which Sherlock series premiered in the UK on 1 January 2014?

Series 3 of Sherlock premiered in the UK on 1 January 2014.

The premiere was “The Empty Hearse,” which begins after Sherlock Holmes’s apparent death and explores his return to London. The episode was followed by “The Sign of Three” on 5 January and “His Last Vow” on 12 January, giving the series its usual three-episode structure.

Sherlock’s four main series were broadcast across 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2017, with a separate Victorian-era special, “The Abominable Bride,” airing in 2016. That special is not part of Series 3, even though it was shown between the third and fourth series.

Another common confusion comes from international schedules. Series 3 premiered in the United States on 19 January 2014, several weeks after its UK debut. The British premiere therefore identifies Series 3, not Series 2 or Series 4.